Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F210/00—Copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond

Definitions

• the present invention relates to new and useful copolymers of an u-olefin and an unsaturated thioether.
• crystalline copolymers with valuable properties can be prepared by copolymerizing by the known low-pressure proc- -ess a-olefins of the general formula CH CH-R, where in which n is a numeral from 0 to 12, preferably from 1 to 12, and Ar represents an aromatic radical.
• the aromatic radical can be unsubstituted or substituted singly or multiply by an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, halogen, or dialkylamino group.
• a-alkylene thioethers e.g., alkylvinyl thioether, alkylallyl thioether, and the like, cannot be copolymerized with a-olefins but strongly inhibit a-olefin polymerization and even stop the polymerization completely, i.e., they damage or destroy, the organometallic catalyst system.
• a-Olefins of the general formula CHFCHR where R represents hydrogen or an alkyl, aryl, or alkaryl radical of 2 to 15 carbon atoms, are suitable for copolymerization with the above-mentioned thioethers.
• olefins are ethylene, propylene, butene-l, 3-methylbutene-l, pentene-l, 4-phenylpentene-l, 4-phenylburtene-1, S-phenylpentene-l, heXene-l, and styrene.
• Preferred thioethers with which the a-olefins can be copolymerized are ,8-naphthylbutene(3)yl thioether, ,3- naphthylpentene(4)yl thioether, fl-naphthylundeceneUO) yl thioether, phenylbutene(3)yl thioether, phenylpentene- (4)yl thioether, phenylundecene()yl thioether, p-dimethylaminophenylpentenyl thioether, p-methylphenylundecene(l0)yl thioether, p-chlorophenylbute-ne(3)yl thioether, and 3-(4-diphenyl sulfide)-propene-l.
• the copolymers can, of course, comprise more than one a-olef
• the copolymers prepared according to the invention have a definite crystal melting point and contain 99 to 70%, preferably 99 to 85%, by weight of a-olefin and correspondingly l to 30%, preferably 1 to by weight of the unsaturated thioether. They distinguish themselves by a very high resistance to thermal and oxidative degradation and can be dyed with dispersion dyes more readily than the homopolymer of the a-olefin.
• the copolymers have melting points, densities, and other physical properties very similar to those o e homopolymers of the olefin, and are useful in the same applications as the homo- 3,308,104 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 ICC molecular weight stabilizers. In fact, the copolymers can serve as stabilizers for the homopolyolefins. Compared with polypropylene stabilized with low molecular weight compounds, the new copolymers have the advantage of not suffering from migration or extraction of stabilizers.
• the catalysts suitable according to the process of the invention for the preparation of copolymers are the same as already known for the low-pressure polymerization of a-olefins, i.e., organometallic mixed catalysts. Combina tions of titanium trichloride with Al(C H or Al (C H Cl are particularly advantageous.
• a suitable catalyst system is prepared by mixing 0.1 to 20 parts,
• organoaluminum compound preferably 2 to 4 parts, by weight of the organoaluminum compound with one part of titanium chloride in an inert liquid diluent, e.g., an aliphatic hydrocarbon. It is possible to use titanium chloride which has been obtained from TiCl by reduction with hydrogen or with aluminum or with an organoaluminum compound.
• the copolymerization of the a-olefin and unsaturated thioether can be carried out via known techniques as a block copolymerization or as an ordinary random copolymerization, preferably in an inert liquid diluent, by adding the monomer once or several times, separately one after another or together to a dispersion of the catalyst components in an aliphatic, alicyclic or aromatic hydrocarbon, e.g., n-heptane, n-hexane, cyclohexane, cyclopentane, toluene, chl-orobenzene, anisol, or well-purified mineral oil fractions, and the like.
• the polymerization can also be carried out in the mixtures of the monomers themselves Without any diluent.
• the polymerization is desirably carried out at temperatures between 30 and 150 C., preferably at 40 to C.
• the duration of the polymerization is desirably about 0.5 to 15 hours, preferably 2 to 8 hours.
• the polymerization can be interrupted by addition of an alcohol, e.g., isopropanol or n-butanol, or of a ketone, e.g. acetone. After washing with water, the powdery polymer is filtered off, washed several times with benzene, methanol, and acetone and finally dried.
• the diluent can be removed in known manner by steam distillation instead of by washing.
• copolymers obtained according to the process of the invention can be processed into molded articles by the methods commonly used for olefin polymers.
• EXAMPLE 1 (a) Preparation of TiCl catalyst component Ethylaluminum sesquichloride (400 mmoles) and 200 mmoles of triethylaluminum are dissolved in 300 ml. of a parafiinic petroleum fraction having a boiling range 180- 200" C. which had been sparged with purer nitrogen and freed from water, oxygen, sulfur, and olefins. At 0 C.,
• e h Introduced f half E111 hollf- The P py 15 By distilling off the mother liquor, 12 g.
• a crystalline polymer powder (a) Preparation of catalyst M.P. 164 C., and reduced specific viscosity 4.87 (meas- Ethylaluminum sesquichl-oride (2.2 moles) is dissolved urfid 01% Solutloh 0f deeahydfohaphthalene) hin 1.5 l. of a paraffinic petroleum fraction, boiling range tamed an amount 0f The PF e yl ld 1 180200 C., which had been rinsed with pure nitrogen 3 6.85 g./l. hr., 87.6% thereof the crystalline modlficatlon.
• the resulting TiCl -containing precipitate is alfractlon heated. to 50 Then 50 mmoles phenyl' lowed to settle and the supernatant clear solution is pentenam'wl ihloeiher and after another 10 minutes 20 siphoned ofi.
• the catalyst is washed about 10 times with g' ig T1013 m the form of the Catalyst qomponent stirring with the above-described petroleum fraction and 40 escn 6 under 2(a) are addad to the Solunon'. the diluent is removed each time by siphoning ofi sequently 15 l./hr. of ethylene and 10 l./hr.
• Example 2 One hunethe s is c rried out according to Example 2 and the dred and thirty-six (136) g. of a crystalline polymerpowfinishing steps according to Example 1(b). Details of der, M.P. l64.5 C., and having a reduced specific VISCOS- the polymerization and the properties of the copolymers ity of 7.31 (measured in 0.1% solution of decahydroare summarized in the table.
• the products were always dissolved and reprecipitated three times from xylene and after each of these operations extracted in a
• the copolyrners described in the foregoing table exhibit excellent heat stability without the addition of stabilizers, which is most remarkable considering the notoriously poor heat stability of crystalline polypropylene without added stabilizers.
• Unstabilized polypropylene for example, becomes brittle in less than 24 hours when exposed to circulating air at 133 C. whereas the propylene copolyrners described in the examples do not become embrittled after exposure of more than 360 hours under the same conditions.
• Patent is 1. Crystalline copolymers of an ot-olefinselected from the group consisting of ethylene and propylene with an unsaturated thioether of the general formula in which rt is a number from 0 to 12 and Ar is an aromatic radical, said copolyrners having. a definite crystalline melting point and being comprised of 99 to 70%. by .weight of a-olefin and 1 to 30% .by weight of unsaturated thioether.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Graft Or Block Polymers (AREA)
• Addition Polymer Or Copolymer, Post-Treatments, Or Chemical Modifications (AREA)

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Citations (3)

• 1964
  • 1964-10-29 US US407570A patent/US3308104A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1964-11-26 NL NL6413745A patent/NL6413745A/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-26 AT AT999464A patent/AT255123B/de active
  • 1964-11-27 GB GB48395/64A patent/GB1076038A/en not_active Expired
  • 1964-11-30 BE BE656461D patent/BE656461A/xx unknown

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